🛍️ Google's Surprise Tool Aims to Topple Honey's Discount Dominance

Greetings,

As we step into a new day this November 8th, the tech world doesn't hit pause. We've gathered the essence of today's tech buzz – concise, compelling, and critical for the savvy professional:

• Regulatory Watch - U.S. eyes bank-like scrutiny for Apple and PayPal.

• Ad Game-Changer - WhatsApp may revolutionize ad space.

• Defense Deal - Intel's billion-dollar defense chip contract.

• Google vs. Honey - Google's new tool challenges discount apps.

• AI Investment - IBM pours $500M into AI for business.

• Ad Innovation - Google's AI could transform advertising.

• Shein's IPO - Fashion giant eyes $90B US IPO.

• Waze Safety - New alerts for risky roads.

• and more…

Dive into the details and discover how these developments could impact your world.

Tech Companies

U.S. Regulators Eyeing Apple, PayPal for Potential Bank-Style Oversight: Here's Why (7-minute read)

The U.S. Consumer Finance Protection Bureau (CFPB) is seeking to regulate tech giants Apple and PayPal like traditional banks, if they offer analogous financial services. Aimed at ensuring fairness, transparency, and competition, the proposal targets digital wallets which handle billions of dollars but lack banking regulations. Middle and lower-income Americans' frequent usage of digital payment services also spurs this regulatory move.

WhatsApp Status Ads: Possible Game-Changer or Just Talk? (6-minute read)

WhatsApp's top executive, Will Cathcart, discussed the potential of introducing ads within the application's Status and Channels, but not in the main inbox. The Meta-owned platform, utilized by over 2 billion global users, currently focuses on business messaging and ads on external platforms for revenue generation.

Intel Poised for Billion-Dollar Defense Chip Deal: Winners and Losers (7-minute read)

Intel Corp. is reported to be leading negotiations with U.S. government over potentially receiving billions in funding to construct secure microchip production facilities intended for military use. The proposed facilities, part of a bid to lessen the military's reliance on East Asian imports, particularly from invasion-risk Taiwan, could receive funding from the $52.7 billion Chips Act, signed into law August 2022. These facilities are likely to be housed within Intel's Arizona complex, their exact cost still needs to be determined.

Baidu's $62M Shift from Nvidia to Huawei's AI Chips Explained (6-minute read)

Baidu has ordered 1,600 AI chips worth $61.83 million from Huawei, indicating a strategic industry shift away from US-based Nvidia amid tightened trade restrictions.

Google's Surprise Tool Aims to Topple Honey's Discount Dominance (3-minute read)

Google is enhancing its Search and Chrome tools to help users discover discounts. A new deals page on Search will show products on sale across the web, with filters for categories and different merchant types. Meanwhile, Chrome actively seeks discount codes and gives users price insights. Google claims the features will be influenced by user preferences and can be accessed by searching terms like "shop deals".

Meta's Generative AI: Blocked in Political Campaigns, Implications for 2024 Elections (5-minute read)

Meta has decided to prohibit political campaigns from using its generative AI advertising tools due to concerns about potential risks to election integrity. This move may be significant as numerous countries, including the U.S. and EU, anticipate potentially contentious elections in 2024.

Startup Scene

IBM's Big $500M Bet on AI Startups Revolutionizing Business Verticals (7-minute read)

IBM is dedicating $500 million to fund AI startups focused on business customers, signaling a shift for the tech giant. The funding will be available to startups at various stages, with no particular investment or capital deployment schedule announced. Key areas of interest include industry-specific tools, particularly in verticals like healthcare, with an aim to avoid directly competing with IBM's existing business.

AI Corner

Revolutionize Ads with AI: Google's New Tool for Innovation (5-minute read)

Google has revealed new tools enabling advertisers to develop AI-generated content using the Bard chatbot technology. Available in beta on the AI-powered Performance Max product, US advertisers can quickly create customized assets for campaigns across Google platforms. Future rollouts are anticipated by the end of 2023.

YouTube to Unleash AI Chatbot and Comment Categories: Beta Insights (4-minute read)

YouTube is trialling an AI chatbot and comment categorization, aiming to enhance user experience. A wider roll-out for Premium users is planned in the upcoming weeks.

Markets & Money

Shein Targets Whopping $90 Billion Valuation for US IPO Amid Challenges (8-minute read)

Fast-fashion giant Shein is aiming for a hefty $80 billion to $90 billion valuation for its upcoming US IPO, despite recent devaluations in the secondary market driven by investor worries about competition, copyright theft allegations, and potential use of forced labor. The Chinese-founded brand which moved its headquarters to Singapore, saw impressive growth during Covid with booming direct-to-consumer e-commerce sales particularly among teens and young women. The company, facing scrutiny over supply chain practices and environmental impact, also is diversifying by acquiring stakes in competitors like Forever 21.

Datadog Stock Soars 30%: Beats Q3 Estimates and Ups Full-Year Outlook (4-minute read)

Shares of cloud software company DataDog rose nearly 30% after surpassing Q3 projections and increasing its full-year guidance. The firm reported a Q3 revenue of $547.5 million, a 25% YoY increase, exceeding estimates. DataDog also revised its full-year revenue upwards to approximately $2.1 billion. CEO Olivier Pomel cited "AI-native customers" as contributing to revenue, reinforcing signs of optimism following cost-reduction slowing amongst some organizations.

Apps & Gadgets

Waze Introduces Crash History Alerts for Risky Roads: Exclusive Insights (3-minute read)

Waze, a Google-owned app, has introduced a safety feature to alert drivers about crash-prone sections of the route based on historical data and route specifics. The new function, which has been in beta since last year, does not differentiate between major and minor incidents to prevent distractions. The alerts do not cover whether accidents involve other vehicles, pedestrians, or cyclists.

Android 14 Users Beware: Data Loss Inevitable Despite Bug Fix (6-minute read)

Google's latest Android 14 security patch addresses a severe storage bug, but recovery of some data could be inevitably lost.

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